Easy Rider

1969.

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards.

#88 / #84

EASY RIDER follows Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper), two motorcycle-riding wanderers as they travel from Mexico to L.A. to New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras.

Eddie: This movie is electric. From start to finish, it is filled with immeasurable infectious energy. The acting performances and the editing and the cinematography all complement each other, creating a kaleidoscopic experience that seems to blend together by the end of the 95 minute road epic. Sarah and I talked afterwards about how much we enjoy this type of movie - so seemingly disjointed and non-linear until the end, when we were jolted by the movie's scope and narrative. The ending punches you in the head and kicks you in the stomach. It was fitting to watch EASY RIDER the day before the Fourth of July. The flick reminds you of all that is great about America while haunting you with much of what's wrong with it, too.

Sarah: As soon as the movie starts, you want to pack a satchel full of your drug of choice and hit the open road. Freedom is a central theme here, and like Eddie said, it fills you with energy. I really can't wait to see EASY RIDER again. I have a feeling it will get better with each viewing. While this film may seem deceptively simple, it is not. It is Plato's cave story set in a new era.

Why You Should See It: Jack Nicholson steals the show as the boozing lawyer, George Hanson. Jack is still great today, but to watch him at the tender age of thirty is quite an experience.